Always Coming Home but Never Staying
by The-Year-of-the-Dragon
Summary: Summary: short drabbles for Ezio/Claudia. He was one the outside. She is left behind the walls, but still need each other because family is family, and an Auditore is all about family. A little on the shippy side if you squint.


Always Coming Home but Never Staying

Summary: short drabbles for Ezio/Claudia. He was one the outside. She is left behind the walls, but still need each other because family is family, and an Auditore is all about family. A little on the shippy side if you squint.

Chapter 1: My Brother's Keeper

A fifteen year old Claudia shifted in her grand bed at the Auditore home in Florence. It was a warm summer night and the mugginess of the air caused her to throw most of the silken blanket off. She twisted her legs in the sheets again and flipped the pillow over to lie against the cool side of the fabric.

A sound much like a cat landing after jumping off a high bookcase. A light thump woke her up.

"What?" She sat up in bed covering her nightgown with the blanket.

Ezio stumbled a little as he balanced catching a post on her bed. He was a shabby mess of a man. His shirt was half tucked in and most of his hair tie.

Claudia stared at her older brother with an arched eyebrow her lips slightly agape. "Ezio?" She hissed. Her eyes glanced to the clock. "It is almost 3? What are you doing?"

He smiled in an attempt to be more charming than he was. "I was out. Having fun. I had to sneak back in." He raked a hand threw his dark hair. "Your window was…" he paused "convenient."

"My ass." She growled. Claudia was never one to be awoken early.

"Hush, Sorella. You'll wake someone and this is going look bad."

She huffed and pulled at the twisted sheet. "Who was she?"

"Oh," he deflated, his bravado leaving him.

"A pretty tart."

"A whore." She cut sharply.

"Hush. You don't know her."

"I am sure you have "known" her. I stand by my assessment. By the way, she left a stain on your pants. Did you not even take them off with her." He lip stuck out with the judgment.

His face ran hot as he frowned, swiping at the stain; he took a seat on the edge of the bed. "You are not my wife. So, you have no place to judge." He rubbed her back through the barrier. He mumbled his words softly.

"I know that. But if no one watches you, you do everything. Everything is permitted."

His lip curled. "And you are your brother's keeper?"

"Simply. Si."

Chapter 2: An Empty Meal

"Want to see the book?" She shoved the bound paper toward him. This was a old game. They were nearly 30 each and had been in control for close to ten years.

He grunted as he looked over the book. His scarred lip set in a frown.

Claudia reached up playfully and yanked his ever-present hood over his eyes.

"Claudia!" He pulled back.

"You are getting to serious." She teased.

He shook out his hood and flipped a page engrossed in the funds.

"You know it has been seven weeks since you have you come home. Mama is well but still quiet. Mario is Mario." She paused. She had more to say, but the words stopped in her chest. She could not tell him how lonely it had been.

He flipped a cream colored sheet over."5,000f for that!"

Claudia shifted. Almost ten years, she had run the business; even years he left her alone. Ten years mom barely uttered a word. Ten years. Ten years and all that happened was that she had been robbed of her youth and little freedom.

His eyes flickered up waiting for her to cuss, huff, puff anything. "Are you well?"

"I am fine too. I guess. Nothing new."

He blew air out of his nose like a bull.

"Why don't you go out?" He added a mark on the paper.

"Where? Who?" He didn't seem to realize. "When?" Something snapped in her chest like her heart cracked.

"Make some time. I think if you can watch how every coin in the family is spent. I think you could make a little time."

"Make time?! From you. HA!" She laughed bitterly. "You make time." She pulled her book back.

The lines that started forming around his mouth got deeper. "I don't want to hear it, Sorella. I do this for you. If you are unhappy with how I run things-"

"Let me guess? Leave? Find a husband?!" She hissed to keep from yelling.

"We have to make sacrifices."

"Revenge is a dish best served cold. But all you eat is yourself. You pick over bones with nothing left." She muttered the line she had read in his absence.

He unclenched his fist. "I am sorry, but they will-"

"Pay." I know.

He came around the table. "Do not be angry." He took her hand in his. "I am sorry. I will be home a little more this winter." He kissed her knuckle and moved to her hair and forehead. He kissed the tip of her nose as he pulled her in.

She shook but kept herself from falling into weakness. "I am fine. We are fine. I am sorry."

He pulled her to his chest. "Why don't we go out together. Get in a little trouble. Hm?"

"Sounds nice." It didn't matter if it was probably an empty promise, but it never sounded so sweet.

Chapter 3 Again:

"Madonna. You have a guest." The younger girl dressed in pale gold came and touched her boss' shoulder.

"I heard you." She waved off the hand.

"It is Maestro." The girls always considered him to be the man of the house. He was almost husband.

Ezio stood in the door frame. His cloak was on along with his arm guards and weapons. He was leaving again. The girl backed out of the room facing the pair.

"At least you are saying goodbye."

"Always try to." He replied.

"Hm." She shifted to face the man who was closer to 40 then he was to 30. She wrung her hands.

"Take care of, Mama."

"I know."

He closed the space.

"And the business." She wrinkled her nose at his suggestion that she was incapable. He took her hand "and yourself." She nodded and looped her arms around his middle.

"Good Luck." She tried to see his eyes under the hood but could not read them.

"I don't need it." He bragged.

She laughed. "Go kick some Borgia Ass." She had dropped low and squeezed him threw the layers of cloth.

"You better go sell some." He returned the squeeze.

She fake pouted and then gave him a real smile.

"I love you, please be safe." _Come back home_ she wanted to whisper.

"You too, little one." He dropped a kiss on her cheek and let go. In a second he left the room via the window like a door was too boring of an exit.

Claudia sat back at the desk and poured over her books waiting for his next return.

A/N: There I noticed this pairing is small and I wanted to explore the relationship and support the ship a little. I hope you liked it.


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